Arlissa began writing music whilst still at school, studying for her A-levels. At 19 years old she was signed to London Records and then with Jay Z ’s Roc Nation. "I was writing and recording with a friend. He got some people from London Records down to the studio and they offered me a contract the same day.
"The label were playing my music to some people at Roc Nation in New York. Joe Brown walked past, heard the music and said on the spot, ‘I want her’. I flew out the next week, met Joe and signed a management deal.”
Arlissa’s track Hard To Love Somebody gained attention from a publisher, which eventually was passed on to Nas . After hearing the track Nas approached her to feature on it, he flew Arlissa out to LA in order to record the collaboration in person.
On working with Nas, Arlissa said, "The whole experience was completely surreal, my ex was obsessed by Nas, and we used to listen to him all the time."
"He just makes you feel so comfortable.”
"It wasn’t until I was on the plane home that I suddenly realised, '****, I just did a track with Nas’. It’s been an incredible opportunity."
Arlissa is only the second UK artist to collaborate with Nas after Amy Winehouse.
Hard To Love Somebody was chosen as Scott Mills’ record of the week on Radio 1 in November 2012.
Arlissa was named as one of the BBC’s one to watch for 2013, when she made the longlist for the sound of 2013.
Arlissa second single Sticks & Stones was released on 3rd March 2013. The Daily Star gave the track a 9/10, saying “There’s so much more to the Londoner than just fitting into a scene - she's already duetted with Nas, and she doesn't sing like anyone else around. The funky percussion sounds like Sticks & Stones, but ultimately it's just a fierce pop song. She'll definitely stick around.”
Arlissa followed up Sticks & Stones with another single, Into The Light, released in November of the same year. It featured on multiple Littlewoods advertisements during Christmas.
Her debut album, Battles, is still awaiting a release; a new single, which is a cover of the Olive song You're Not Alone is gaining radio airplay and is set to be released soon.
Little Girl
Arlissa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you keep it bottled up inside
Won't even tell your best friend why
You ain't been feeling yourself lately
You twiddle your thumbs at the table
Tell yourself that you're emotionally stable
Your heart is racing but you're wearing your smile
You think it's better off that way
So maybe you just go for a drink but it follows you down
With every bottle that you sip, no, your troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
They keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better?
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever, baby?
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby?
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Tell me what you see
'Cause I don't look like me anymore
Little girl, where have you gone?
And everywhere I don't belong
I don't belong
So maybe I just go for a drink but it follows me down
With every bottle that I sip, no, my troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
They keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better?
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever, baby?
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby?
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free (break free)
Why can't we learn to understand each other better?
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever, baby?
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Break free
The song "Little Girl" by Arlissa explores the idea of hiding your emotions and troubles from others, even when you know something is wrong. The song opens with the lines "You know when there's something wrong, and you keep it bottled up inside, won't even tell your best friend why." The lyrics describe the struggle of maintaining a façade of emotional stability while feeling overwhelmed on the inside. The line "Your heart is racing but you're wearing your smile, you think it's better off that way" suggests that the person is carrying a heavy burden of emotions that they feel they cannot share with others.
As the song continues, the lyrics shift to a discussion of how turning to substances, such as alcohol, will not solve these emotional problems. Every bottle consumed further exacerbates the issue, as it only makes it easier for the emotions to creep to the surface. The final verse of "Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me what you see, 'cause I don't look like me anymore. Little girl, where have you gone?" suggests that the singer has lost their sense of self and is struggling to find their identity amidst these overwhelming emotions.
In the chorus, Arlissa asks the question "Why can't we learn to understand each other better?" The repetition of the question highlights the importance of communication and understanding between individuals. The chorus ends with the phrase "Little girl, time that you break free." This line serves as the central theme of the song, encouraging listeners to break free from the emotional burdens that they carry and find solace in sharing their struggles with others.
Overall, "Little Girl" by Arlissa is a powerful and emotional song that urges listeners to break free from the emotional shackles that they carry and find a way to share their struggles with others.
Line by Line Meaning
You know when there's something wrong
You have that gut feeling when things aren't right
And you keep it bottled up inside
You don't share your pain with anyone
Won't even tell your best friend why
You don't want to burden or worry others
You ain't been feeling yourself lately
You've been feeling down and different
You twiddle your thumbs at the table
You're nervous and fidgety
Tell yourself that you're emotionally stable
You try to convince yourself that you're okay
Your heart is racing but you're wearing your smile
You're hiding your true feelings
You think it's better off that way
You believe it's easier to keep it all inside
So maybe you just go for a drink but it follows you down
You turn to alcohol to numb your pain but it doesn't help
With every bottle that you sip, no, your troubles won't drown
Drinking doesn't provide a solution or relief
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
Your problems resurface and worsen due to alcohol
They keep on creeping out
Your problems keep persisting
Why can't we learn to understand each other better?
Why can't we have better communication and empathy?
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever, baby?
Why can't we have more trust in our relationships?
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
It's time for you to be free and let go of your pain
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Why can't we accept that it's okay not to have everything figured out?
Figured out, baby?
Do we really need to have everything figured out?
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Looking at yourself in the mirror
Tell me what you see
Questioning yourself and your self-image
'Cause I don't look like me anymore
You don't recognize yourself or feel like yourself
Little girl, where have you gone?
You've lost your true self
And everywhere I don't belong
You feel out of place and disconnected
Little girl, time that you break free
It's time for you to let go of your pain and be true to yourself
Break free
Let go of all the things that weigh you down and hold you back
Writer(s): Austin Ward, Arlissa Ruppert
Contributed by Caroline E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tiffanyodell3984
You know when there's something wrong
And you keep it bottled up inside
Won't even tell your best friend why
You ain't been feeling yourself lately
You twiddle your thumbs at the table
Tell yourself that you're emotionally stable
Your heart is racing but you're wearing your smile
You think it's better off that way
So maybe you just go for a drink but it follows you down
With every bottle that you sip, no your troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
And they keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Tell me what you see
'Cause I don't look like me anymore
Little girl, where can you gone?
And everywhere I don't belong
I don't belong
So maybe I just go for a drink but it follows me down
With every that I sip, no my troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
And they keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Break free
@Arlissa
Who’s ready to hear my debut EP “The Lovers”? 😍🙋🏽♀️ you can find it here : https://arlissa.ffm.to/thelovers.oyd ✨
Let me know below which song is your favourite 🤗 xx
@lindamurphy8967
“Little Girl” resonates with me. I was looking at a photo of me when I was in 8th grade and I was like, “girl, if I could have spoken to you and showed you a glimpse into your future, we would be happier today.”
@413felixortiz8
♥iTTrue story NiceLy dOnE🎉👏👏👏💨👏👏👏👏🎉♥🌃🚀
@tomupei
All of them❤️
@ArnoldStadjer
I love "Old Love" and "House of Cards". I can always dream away with your voice. I am still listening.
@julioacosta7285
Arlissa sings with great passion and emotion. She tells a story in every song she sings. This anticipation is making me forget about the crazy stuff going on in our world. Arlissa, you are truly amazing!
@tiffanyodell3984
You know when there's something wrong
And you keep it bottled up inside
Won't even tell your best friend why
You ain't been feeling yourself lately
You twiddle your thumbs at the table
Tell yourself that you're emotionally stable
Your heart is racing but you're wearing your smile
You think it's better off that way
So maybe you just go for a drink but it follows you down
With every bottle that you sip, no your troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
And they keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Tell me what you see
'Cause I don't look like me anymore
Little girl, where can you gone?
And everywhere I don't belong
I don't belong
So maybe I just go for a drink but it follows me down
With every that I sip, no my troubles won't drown
They just float to the surface 'cause they're only tryna hurt us
And they keep on creeping out
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free, oh-oh
Why can't we learn that we don't have to have it all
Figured out, baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Oh-ah, oh-ah, oh
Little girl, time that you break free
Why can't we learn to understand each other better
Why can't we learn to trust another, last forever baby
Little girl, time that you break free
Little girl, time that you break free
Break free
@sifa6795
I'm gonna be that person 😔 'little girl where * have * you gone' not 'can'
@tiamarie8206
This woman can not make a bad song. It’s just impossible. She never misses
@XOgirlsruntheworld
Tbh I don’t like to really comment on YouTube and I keep my private life off of social media but this song just touched my heart and soul on a deeper level. so I just have to share to Arlissa how much I appreciate her art and music. I related to this song on every level from childhood to adulthood. I am 24 now but I still feel the trauma of my childhood and on top of that the life I have created for myself as an adult comes with its own pain. Everything I go through I go through alone. I don’t burden others with my problems nor do I trust others to not gossip about it . I will admit that I have hurt myself in ways that nobody who loves themselves would ever. I don’t drink or smoke because as Arlissa beautifully sang the problems can’t be kept down but bubble up to the surface and there’s no hiding it. I’m grateful that I have people to take care of me during those times. But something about this song makes me super emotional. I long for the little girl inside me before that was happy and so hopeful and full of life bouncing with energy and just pure innocence. In a way I felt like I was mourning her as well as wishing for that happy part of me back. But I thank Arlissa for putting into words what I couldn’t describe. Keep touching souls 🦋